A few days ago, my friend invited me to Nahargarh Heritage Water Walk. The walk was conducted by a water management and conservation expert based in Jaipur. Nahargarh heritage water walk explains the methods of ancient water collection and rainwater harvesting systems of Nahargarh Fort. There are two huge Baoris or step-wells in Nahargarh Fort for collection and storage of rain water.
Water walk uncovers the system of collection and channelizing rainwater into these water storage systems or Baoris or step wells.
A Guide To Nahargarh Heritage Water Walk
During the last few years, Rainwater Harvesting has become a buzzword. Rainwater harvesting techniques and water conservation have become very important in recent years. So much so that without the rainwater harvesting process in place, the construction of a new building or house is not permitted by the urban authorities in Jaipur.
Neeraj, the walk leader has worked with the World Bank on water conservation. After shifting to Jaipur, he conducts water walks at Amer Fort and Nahargarh Fort.
He traces his roots to western Rajasthan, a rain deficit region. Incidentally, water resource management is quite strong in the western region of Rajasthan.
This heritage water walk in Jaipur focuses on the entire system for collecting rainwater and its storage, which was used a few centuries ago. A large part of this system i.e. catchment area is still intact and functional. How people in those times conceived & developed the system of water collection & storage is something to ponder over. Some components of these systems share similarities with the ones used in Europe during a similar time frame, especially in Southern Europe!
The water conservation program was completely dependent on rainfall in this region. Once collected, the quantum of water could be used for more than a year and thereby making it easier to survive during rain deficit periods.
Although the major part of the water collection and conservation system is still intact and functional, some sections have been damaged, which seems to be a work of the human element rather than an efflux of time.
The water collected through these channels accumulates in Nahargarh Fort water reservoirs or storage tanks popularly called Nahargarh Baoris. Here are a few pictures that explain the system.
A close-up of this Nahargarh Fort water channel.
Here is a panorama shot of the Nahargarh water storage tank or reservoir commonly called Nahargarh Baori.
The Nahargarh water walk proves how people used to work in tandem with nature in a bygone period. Despite living in this city for many years, certain sections of the water conservation system especially the catchment area had escaped my attention too. While, we all have seen water storage in Jaigarh Fort, Amer Fort, and Nahargarh Fort, the modus operandi was unknown.
The current generation is unaware of ancient water conservation systems but it’s important to spread awareness about this forgotten technique.
Here is a picture of the Nahargarh water channel during the monsoon. This picture shows how water collects in the channels.
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Lately, a few more companies have started undertaking Nahargarh Water Walk apart from the one mentioned above. Among the people who have recently started conducting Heritage Nahargarh Water Walk are architects. Probably, some people feel architects understand the whole concept of water harvesting better than anyone else. Is it true? I will leave that for you to decide. Here is a picture from Nahargarh Water Walk led by an architect.
What is the Duration of the Nahargarh Heritage Water Walk?
This heritage water walk requires around 2 hours
What is the starting point of the Nahargarh Heritage Water Walk?
Nahargarh Heritage Water Walk starts from a point outside the Nahargarh Fort
Is Nahargarh Heritage Water Walk interesting?
People seeking offbeat things to do in Jaipur might find Nahargarh Heritage water Walk interesting but certainly not all people will.
Is Nahargarh Heritage Water Walk wheelchair accessible?
No, the route of the walk entails forest and steps that are not wheelchair accessible
What are the timings of the Nahargarh Heritage Water Walk?
It is available during the morning and evening during the summer season. One needs to book it in advance.
To know more about this water walk and how you can undertake one, you can email me at -Jaipurthrumylens@gmail.com. Nahargarh Water Walk made its appearance first on Jaipurthrumylens – the best blog on Jaipur.
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